Fable of the Rouge Tails
by Ziek Shrownamn
Summary: A single change ripples outward in a cascade event of outcomes; Sakura leaves Tazuna's side in the Land of Wave to help Naruto and Sasuke fight Haku, "because those who abandon teammates are worse than trash," and the worse possible outcome occurs. Forced to face the horror of reality and offered a deal he couldn't refuse, Naruto takes the first steps in becoming a legend.


A/N: So, it's been quite some time, and I'm finally getting around to reviving this god-forsaken project of mine and crafting it into what it originally should have been. Without much further ado, I hereby present:

**Fable of the Rouge Tails**

**Chapter One**

Snow fell upon his face and immediately dissolved upon contacting his still-heated cheeks, the effects of using the Kyuubi's chakra lingering despite his exhaustion. Naruto's eyes opened and he tried to move, muscles screaming in protest – joints and ligaments aching, skin lacerated in multiple places, his body slowly regenerating the damage done by the use of the demon fox's chakra.

Naruto winced, falling sideways onto the damp surface of the bridge. The fog had dissipated, the ice mirrors that once surrounded him gone alongside their creator. A few yards before him, Sasuke lay face down, just barely breathing; To Sasuke's left... The blond jinchuriki's eyes flashed red, but he was far too tired to move. He quickly averted his gaze, nausea rising within him at the sight of Sakura's limp form. While Sasuke had been precisely rendered unconscious by Haku's senbon, Sakura wasn't nearly as lucky.

He was only vaguely aware of Kakashi's figure approaching the two still bodies, while another one – either the actual one or a clone – hefted his own body up and into his arms. Before he succumbed to exhaustion once more, the events that had led to his ungodly weariness flashed before his eyes.

**Flashback – Ten Minutes Prior**

_ Naruto shouted with rage as he saw Sasuke's body collapse, senbon riddling his frame, a blur signifying Haku's swift movement between the frozen mirrors. The Uchiha's shoulders slumped and his muscle slackened, his descent to the ground seeming to be in slow motion to Naruto's perception. A scream of denial tore past his lips at the sight of the fallen Uchiha. As a maroon haze obscured his vision, he was vaguely aware of a feminine voice shouting out to his right – some distance away, but still within range of the fight._

_ Sakura was conflicted. She was tasked with guarding Tazuna, but the battle between Naruto, Sasuke, and Haku wasn't going over well. Kakashi had Zabuza held at bay, almost like he was toying with him. Her body was tense, fight or flight instinct going haywire. With a frustrated sound she looked at Tazuna, the older man glancing down at her. "Go help out your teammates," he said, a frown upon his face. "I'm an old man. I've lived my life, I've done what I've needed to do. You three still have years ahead of you. Go."_

_ Sakura hesitated for only a moment longer before nodding her head, vanishing in a flurry of motion. Tazuna gave a weary sigh and sat down upon the bridge, listening to the dissonant sounds of battle around him. The bridge was nearly complete, and they could finish it without him, if need be. Those kids had already sacrificed so much for his sake... He wouldn't ask them to abandon one another, in addition to that._

_ Sakura rushed towards the ice mirrors, her mind whirling with strategies and possibilities. Memories of the textbook examples flashed through her head, what to do against daunting odds, what to do when one was surrounded... She drew a kunai and paused for just a moment, waiting to see any movement signifying Haku. When a blur darted from one mirror to another, she tossed a kunai through the gap, aiming just ahead of the form. There was a flash of red and a soft gasp and she grinned, leaping into the dome of mirrors. _

_ As she drew another kunai, she paused to take a look at the surroundings. Sasuke was collapsed upon the ground and Naruto looked **pissed**, eyes wide and teeth bared – almost feral in his appearance. The moment he caught sight of Sakura his vision softened, and worry overtook him. "Sakura-chan! What are you doing, you're supposed to be guarding Tazuna...!" He said, twisting as a volley of senbon flew his way – getting pelted with a few but dodging those targeting more lethal areas. _

_ "Those who abandon the mission are trash, but those who abandon teammates are worse than trash!" She said, throwing a trio of kunai towards Haku in retaliation. Naruto grinned at her reference to Kakashi's words, drawing out a handful of shuriken. "Let's do this, then!"_

_ Haku was concerned. Flashing from mirror to mirror, he took in the new arrival with some trepidation. She seemed harmless... Textbook fighting stance and throwing style, but particularly accurate from a flawless technique. The gash upon his leg proved that. Aside from that, she didn't seem to have much field experience; Haku could see her shaking just slightly from adrenaline. The masked hunter-nin had to finish this battle quickly, or be overwhelmed by numbers and chakra exhaustion._

_ Slipping several senbon into both hands, he prepared himself to dart forward. Aiming for the same pressure points he used on Zabuza, he threw a volley towards Sakura, the freshest of the two. Her green eyes widened and she moved to backstep, but the sound of metal piercing flesh and the faintest of 'gurks' followed when several senbon struck Sakura's frame – however, not where Haku had aimed. Sakura's body fell backward with her momentum, landing nearly in the same vicinity of Sasuke, and then grew still. Haku felt a pang of recognition for only a brief moment, before an icy mask overcame his expression. The senbon had pierced some of the major arteries in her throat, instead of the pressure point he was aiming for... The girl was doomed, but as Zabuza's tool, he couldn't afford to linger upon her death – he had a mission to carry out. He flashed to another mirror and took aim towards the blond haired Genin, not expecting the sight that emerged before him._

_ Naruto saw Sakura collapse, and heard the last whisper of breath slip past her lips as she bled out. His eyes widened, body growing deathly still, before he began to shake with growing fury. Crimson overtook sapphire, hellfire bleeding into this innocent eyes of his. His fingernails elongated into sharp claws, canines growing more pronounced. A single tail of flaming red chakra flickered behind him; A cloak of youkai bathed his form as he fell to all fours, a bestial stance for a bestial transformation. Haku's eyes widened behind the porcelain mask: How had the blond gained such immense power? He had an impressive chakra reserve before, but this was beyond comprehension... It was unnatural. Then, Naruto roared, and the mirror to his right completely **shattered**. It was pure luck that Haku wasn't cleaved in half by the swipe of a mighty claw. _

_ This was something Haku did not anticipate from the innocent preteen he had spoke to a day prior. That boy couldn't have harmed a fly... But as he dodged out of the way of another burning crimson claw, Haku feared for his life. Even Zabuza didn't radiate this kind of killing intent... It was monstrous._

_ Haku threw a half dozen senbon towards Naruto's lowered form, only for him to blur out of sight. A split second later, the mirror he was in was smashed to pieces, a closed fist annihilating the toughened ice it was made out of. Haku was only halfway out of the mirror when it shattered; As he retreated to an opposing mirror, blood ran down his left side in thick rivers. A trail of the life fluid led the instinct-driven Naruto to the mirror he was occupying and he whipped his body around, crouching low to prepare to strike. Haku needed to act quick._

_ The ice user darted out of the mirror, aiming for one at Naruto's right flank, only to be intercepted by a chakra-infused arm. The breath was knocked out of him and he felt several ribs crack. He fell to his back with a dull thud and scrambled to his feet, only to be shoved back to the ground by Naruto's dense frame. Haku barely managed to bite back a scream of pain as the chakra surrounding Naruto burned his flesh upon contact, the hand pressed to his chest burning through fabric with ease. A moment later, a fist crashed into his porcelain mask, shattering it into pieces – revealing his feminine, familiar features to the demon-posessed Naruto._

_ He only hesitated for a split second before another fist like the hammer of Kami fell upon Haku's face. His nose shattered, cartilage digging deep into his tissue; His jaw dislocated, rent to the side, head whipping with the force behind the blow. Haku's vision went blurry, fading in and out of consciousness for a moment. Naruto continued with his assault regardless, the tears leaking from his eyes sizzling away the moment they were exposed to the heated air around him. _

"_**You!"**_

_Thud._

"_**Killed!"**_

_Thud._

"_**Them!"**_

_**Crack.**_

_ The concrete of the bridge below Haku's still frame shattered. The male's head was caved inward from the multitude of blows, skull fragments scattered in every direction, gray matter soaked in blood and pooled within the crater below whatever was left of the shinobi's skull. Naruto reared his bloody fist back once more, eyes narrowed into slits, blinded by fury and sadness and raw blood lust..._

"_Naruto!"_

_ The sound of his sensei's voice snapped him out of his berserker's rage. The demonic chakra surrounding him began to fade away and the reality of what he had done began to sink in. Red eyes turned blue, and then widened with horror. He scrambled away from the desecrated corpse before him, tripping and stumbling over himself as he tried his best to look away from Haku's frame. _

_ He stopped when he came in contact with Kakashi's legs, feeling a hand fall upon his shoulder. Kakashi squeezed down and crouched next to him, a little ragged but far from beaten. Naruto promptly doubled over, emptying what little was in his stomach onto the concrete. Kakashi rubbed his back, even his hardened features softening._

"_Naruto, it's over. Zabuza's dead, and Gato's in chains."_

_ Biting down upon his lip and looking straight at his feet, Naruto barely moved in response. "Gato? H-How...?"_

_ "You inspired Inari to rally the villagers and stand up against him. With a little assistance from yours truly, him and his mercenaries were nothing."_

_ Naruto's shoulders sagged, relief and weariness settling in. His eyes widened, however, gaze snapping over to where Sasuke and Sakura had fallen – nearly draped across each other._

_ "What about Sasuke and Sakura-chan?!" He asked, moving to stand, only for pain to shoot through his body. He gasped and fell back to the ground, landing unceremoniously upon his backside. Kakashi winced, pain flaring up within him as he thought of having to break the news to the impressionable boy. _

_ "Sasuke's fine, Naruto. Just put in a state like Zabuza was. But you should know..." Naruto's form slumped against him, exhaustion finally settling into him before Kakashi could finish. It was no surprise, really. The physical toil of using the Kyuubi's chakra, combined with the mental exhaustion of what Naruto just witnessed... It was a surprise he had managed to speak a few sentences before collapsing._

_ Still, Kakashi would have to break the news to him one way or another. It was only through years of ANBU service that allowed him to keep his cool facade, given the situation. He had seen Sakura abandon Tazuna when she heard Naruto call out for Sasuke, and he couldn't blame her for that. Remembering his own speech to them about abandoning teammates, it was exactly how he had trained them._

_ He couldn't help but think back to Rin and Obito, however, and felt shame unlike ever before. History once more repeated itself, and he still couldn't change a thing... Naruto and Sasuke had to witness the death of a beloved teammate, just as he did. Still, things could be remedied... The past could not be changed, but the future was always an uncertainty. Collecting himself, he made two Kage Bunshin, ordering one to dispose of Haku and Zabuza's corpses and the other to collect other two members of his team. _

_ As Kakashi sighed tiredly, he felt Naruto stir against him once more. The boy's stamina was mind boggling, but it was only a brief moment of lucidity for the young jinchuriki before he fell back into unconsciousness. Kakashi supposed it was better this way, at least for the time, as he began to collect his broken team – and himself._

**Flashback End**

There were certain procedures that shinobi of Konoha were required to follow in the case of a fatality during a mission. Immediately, Kakashi sent Pakkun to deliver the news to the Sandaime. He sealed Sakura's form within a large scroll, a complicated seal array upon it ensuring that she would remain preserved until the memorial service... Whenever it occurred. Due to the nature of senbon wounds, her body would be nearly unblemished. It would provide a little more comfort to the mourners. For those who died on the battlefield with wounds too gruesome for the bodies to be shown, they were buried without much ado. Returned to the earth, to nourish the trees that their lives and homes were enveloped by.

They reached Tazuna's house in decent time, Tsunami opening the door upon their arrival and staring at them aghast. Tazuna was looking absolutely ashamed, the gaze of a broken man; Kakashi was carrying Naruto and Sasuke over each shoulder, with the large scroll containing Sakura's corpse strapped to his waist. He nodded solemnly to her before making his way to the bedroom they stayed in the night before, placing Naruto and Sasuke down carefully before making his way into the living room.

His eyes turned hard as he faced Tazuna, knuckles turning white as he gripped the back of a chair.

"Sit down." The tone of his voice commanded obedience. Every single year of service was behind Kakashi's words, the whole weight of his career – a career forged in the blood of Konoha's enemies.

Tazuna promptly sat down.

"A shinobi of Konoha died today because of your lies. Not an experienced shinobi either. A Genin. A child."

Tazuna sank lower and lower into his chair as Kakashi spoke, until he felt his head snapped backward, forced to stare Kakashi in the eye as one of his clones returned from his task. His eyes watered, grief filling him down to his very core.

"P-Please... Kakashi-san, I didn't intend for it to go down this way...!" The older man's eyes flickered to the side for a brief moment and Kakashi's attention turned to Tsunami, standing in the door frame with a tray of tea – a tray that clattered loudly to the ground as her eyes fell upon the scene before her.

Kakashi leveled his gaze upon her and she apologized profusely before scrambling out of the room. It was a simple matter to frighten a civilian away with even the slightest amount of killing intent. Kakashi had plenty of it to spare, at the time. He would apologize to her later, but right now he had to deal with Tazuna.

"Of course you didn't. But you still withheld information from us, and because of that an unprepared, inexperienced, extraordinarily out classed team was dispatched to a mission that should have been taken care of by **at least** a team of Jonin!" His voice never rose in volume, but the power of his words grew with each syllable.

As Tazuna opened his mouth to speak, Kakashi slammed his hands down upon the table.

"You may speak when I'm finished. You understand that there will be repercussions for this. You were responsible for bringing us this mission, and you'll be held responsible for everything that happened."

Tazuna gulped, eyes widening as Kakashi continued.

"Obviously, money is only one part of the equation. You will be expected to pay the full price of the mission at whatever rank it is promoted to, be it A-rank, or even S-Rank. You will also be expected to pay for the funeral arrangements. Normally this is handled by the Hokage or the family of the shinobi, but given the circumstances, I think this change will do fine."

Kakashi's tone was colder than any frozen mirror, and Tazuna's face was as white as a ghost. He quivered under Kakashi's stare.

"In addition, you may as well consider the Land of Wave an unofficial satellite of Konoha. Given our... _Assistance_ in the economic rejuvenation, I'm sure it won't be much of a problem at all to provide them with goods and support if requested? Konoha was probably going to propose some sort of alliance after the fact regardless, but we may as well get that cart rolling while we're on the topic. It'll be a mutually beneficial agreement, of course; We're not Gato. But if Konoha calls upon the Land of Wave in a time of need, you **will** be expected to answer."

Tazuna was in tears by now, silent sobs wracking his form. Only now had it settled in what had truly happened – he was indirectly responsible for snuffing out one of the bright young lights that had arrived on his doorstep to assist him barely any time ago, and possibly darkening the other two lights that had survived. It was a crime against nature, what he had assisted in. He prayed to Kami that Naruto would forgive him – because he knew he'd never forgive himself. If it had been Inari who had been killed, by some chance... He didn't know what he'd have done with himself. Kakashi's reaction was perfectly understandable, and Tazuna could do nothing but nod his head in agreement.

Seeing Tazuna nod his head, Kakashi released his grip upon the table. He moved to pick up the tray that had fallen to the floor, placing it down upon the table neatly. He stepped into the other room, where Tsunami stared in his direction with a frightened expression.

"I apologize for causing such a scene, Tsunami-san. I thank you for your hospitality during our stay here. I only request that we be allowed to stay here for a few more days while my team recovers, but once they're in fit condition we'll be on our way." He bowed respectfully, Tsunami mimicking the gesture.

"You can stay as long as you need to. We're indebted to you and your team." Tsunami said. Kakashi thanked her and turned to leave, before he heard her voice once more.

"K-Kakashi-san... Is it true, what you said? Did Sakura-san...?"

Kakashi nodded his head gravely and had to look away as Tsunami stifled a faint sob. A tear rolled down his visible cheek as he exited the room. Tazuna was still where Kakashi had left him, strangely lacking a bottle of sake. Shrugging, Kakashi made his way upstairs, where Naruto and Sasuke slept.

Naruto had moved in his sleep and was sprawled out across the small cot. Sasuke was as still as before, but some color had returned to his cheeks, and his breathing was a bit stronger. The two would recover in time – physically, at the very least. Mentally, Kakashi could only guess. He walked to the wall opposite of the door and sat down, leaning heavily against the wood. A few moments passed, and his own eyes drifted shut, the world-weary veteran slipping easily into a very light sleep.

**oooooooooooo**

Naruto's eyes slowly opened, and the first thing he noticed was that he was no longer on the bridge. The second thing he noticed was that he didn't seem to be anywhere he had ever seen before. Darkness surrounded him, shadows warping and twisting, a faint, rhythmic rumbling sound echoing within the scarlet-tinted abyss that surrounded him. It was almost like a massive creature breathing in and out. He stood and immediately frowned. There was no visible floor – yet, the ground beneath him felt rather solid. He took a few steps forward and it remained the same. He walked for a few more steps and made no visible progress, silently walking within the abyss he found himself in.

After what seemed like an hour of walking he had made no visible progress, but he did feel a peculiar tingling sensation upon the back of his neck – as though he was being watched. He turned around and came face to face with... Darkness. Again.

He sighed and folded his arms over his chest. "Alright, I know you're there! Come out! And tell me where the hell I am, while you're at it!"

He stomped his foot, noting with some dismay that it made no sound. For several agonizing seconds, there was only silence. Then, before him, a fissure in the darkness began to grow. Crimson seeped into the shadows that surrounded him, taking the form of a massive fox, towering above him in all its terrifying presence. The Kyuubi loomed over Naruto, a face-splitting grin upon its features. The demon fox spoke in a voice that boomed, a voice that shook mountains, that shook Naruto to the core.

**"About time you came to visit me."**

Naruto nearly stumbled over his own feet at the ludicrous statement, eyes widening at the statement.

"What do you mean 'about time'?! Why should I visit you in the first place, ya giant furball!" He shouted, shaking his fist at the figure before him. For a creature that was supposedly imprisoned within him, he didn't see much in regards to bars, or seals, or anything of the sort. Yet, he was strangely comfortable before the Kitsune, somehow confident in the fact that it couldn't hurt him.

**"Oh, I'm hurt. First, I take care of you for the first dozen years of your miserable life, _then_ I give you the power to take care of that pesky little ninja that killed your mate, and I don't even get a visit every now and then? Not even a 'thank you'?"**

Naruto began to spoke, then paused, the Kyuubi's words sinking in. As Naruto's eyes widened, the Kyuubi stretched out before him, laying down with one paw folded over the other and its bright red eyes focused upon the statuesque boy before him.

"K-Killed...? So, Sakura-chan is...?"

**"Dead. Yes. You already knew this, however."**

"But Kakashi-sensei said...!"

**"That the Uchiha had survived. He never mentioned the fate of the pink-haired one before you passed out again."** The Kyuubi explained, the faintest semblance of regret seeping into its tone – seemingly directed more towards Sasuke's survival than Sakura's death. **"We'll have to work on that. I can't have my container passing out after every battle."**

Naruto fell to his knees before the Kyuubi, cradling his head within his hands. Hot tears spilled past his fingertips, onto the solid darkness below him. The Kyuubi sat there before him, patiently waiting. After a few minutes of sobbing the demon fox grew a bit impatient, and leaned in close to Naruto.

**"Enough crying, boy. You have two options here. You can give up hope and shrivel away into nothingness, or you can live up to that mask of bravado you maintain and get stronger. I can help you with either choice. Personally, I'd prefer if you gave up now. I'd be free again, and you'd be out of my fur. But if it's strength you choose... Well, I can give you strength beyond compare. Strength that will help you never lose one of your 'precious people' again."**

The Kyuubi's words had a saccharine tone to them, an addictive, alluring quality that made Naruto pause in his mourning.

"How...?"

**"Chakra is energy. It is a combination of physical energy – something you Uzumaki have an abundance of – and spiritual energy, something that /I/ have an abundance of."** The Kyuubi looked a bit proud of his statement, watching as Naruto tried to comprehend his explanation.

**"Combined, it results in chakra. Given your status as a jinchuriki, and an Uzumaki, you have incredible amounts of chakra... And this energy can be controlled. Manipulated. You've already seen what it can do on a simple level. Tree climbing, water walking... Even the Hyuuga's fighting style is dependent upon the manipulation of chakra."**

The fox paused for a few moments, letting it sink in. When Naruto nodded his head in some understanding, he continued.

**"With a bit of guidance, and more than a little of my chakra, you can do incredible things... Without the use of your jutsu, or seals, or whatever you call them."**

Naruto looked a little skeptical. "What kind of incredible things?" He asked, head tilting to the side.

**"Tsunade of the Sannin can supposedly destroy buildings with a single punch. I can flatten mountains with a single tail. You think that's done by raw power, or size? It's done by chakra. If you can master chakra, if you can master energy, you can become unstoppable... It won't happen overnight, however. It'll take more effort than you can imagine. It'll be your toughest challenge yet. But by the time you're finished, you'll be a legend, and nobody will be able to turn their back on you."**

Those words caught Naruto's attention. The fox was a tricky one, knowing exactly what strings to pull to entice the young boy. His eyes narrowed, however.

"What do you get out of it, though? Why should I trust you?" He pointed a finger up at the demon fox, a triumphant look in his eyes – as though having caught the fox with its hand in the cookie jar.

**"I get to enjoy that constipated look on your face as you try to control your own chakra. Amongst other things that are none of your business, boy. I can't bring your Sakura back from the dead... But I can help you prevent others joining her. Do you want my help or not?"**

Naruto thought about it for a good, long minute. He folded his arms over his chest, narrowed his eyes, scrunched his nose... The Kyuubi chuckled, highly amused by his jailer. Perhaps the demon fox has developed some parental instincts for the young male, or perhaps it had ulterior motives in offering Naruto a source of strength, but as it was, he was far too vulnerable right now to say no – the Kyuubi knew this, and fully intended on exploiting it. After several more moments, Naruto spoke up once more.

"Fine. Show me."

The Kyuubi's grin threatened to split its face in half. **"Good choice. Now go back to sleep. You need to be well rested for the trip home. There, we can begin." **It reached out with a large paw and shoved Naruto backward, into the darkness. He fell through the previously-solid floor and once more into the land of Nod.

**Chapter One: End.**

**A/N: **So, there it is, the first chapter of what will hopefully be a legendary tale(tail, get it?) of epic proportions. Or another dead fanfiction in a sea of rotting fanfiction carcasses. It's a coin toss at this point, but we're only on chapter one, so we've got plenty of time to find out! Read, rate, and review, but please do be gentle, as it is my first time(not).


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